the Last Day

Revelation 19:11-21

We believe in
one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible.

And in
one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made both in heaven and on earth;
who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man;
he suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven;
from thence he shall [future to 325AD] come to judge the quick and the dead.

And in
the Holy Ghost.

But those who say:
'There was a time when he was not;'
and 'He was not before he was made;'
and 'He was made out of nothing,'
or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,'
or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'
— they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.

I agree wholeheartedly with the Nicene creed with one amendment made to the statement, "from thence [heaven] he shall [future to 325AD] come to judge the quick and the dead." I would amend the verb tense to read, "from thence he comes [ongoing reign since His accomplished Return] to judge the quick and the dead."

Even so, the churchmen who formulated the Nicene Creed looked forward from their 325AD timeframe to a future Judgment with its accompanying Resurrection & Judgement of the Dead. But so did the 70-1070AD Millennialists of that time. They all alike looked forward from their 325AD perspective for the fulfillment of Rev 20:5a, that "the rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1000 years were completed." That is, a 70-1070AD Millennialist living around the time the Nicene Creed was formulated (325AD) would share the same anticipation of a yet future Judgment and Resurrection of "the rest of the dead" because they each saw the end of Rev 20:1-7's "1000 years" as still future to their 325AD point on the timeline. And so, anyone of that time holding to the 70-1070AD Millennium would gladly share in confessing the Nicene Creed as originally formulated. The prevalent view among all Christians of the period was that they were living well within the 1000 year Millennium that they expected to end some time after 1000AD or 1070AD. (The prevailing eschatology of the Middle Age(s) was that the 1000-year Millennium started either at Christ's birth or at the writing of the book of Revelation or at the fall of old Jerusalem as taught by Augustine and later, by Martin Luther & other Reformers like John Lightfoot).

The only difference of opinion voiced would have been that the 70-1070AD Millennialist would declare that Jesus "Emannuel" was already living among them (as artwork from the period depicts Jesus personally handing out the 50 Bibles commissioned by Constantine), the saints & martyrs of the Tribulation were already resurrected-tranformed-glorified (as artwork & legend from the period depicts), and together Saints&Christ were judging the living and the dead in such a way that Christianity's enemies were put under their feet (as truimphant Christendom of the period commonly saw it).

Along with the Nicene Creedalists, however, the 70-1070AD Millennialist of this period would have also anticipated a future period of trial & testing to come upon Christendom sometime after the end of that 1000-year Millennium in which they each saw themselves living. That is, sometime after 1000AD, both the Nicene Creedalist and the 70-1070AD Millennialist alike expected a major challenge to Christendom's dominance, (which indeed occurred as noted by Martin Luther LINK and other Reformers and those who followed their teaching, John Lightfoot LINK).

prophecyhistory.com endeavors to show from the Scriptures that Christ's coming to judge the living and the dead was to take place within the biological lifetimes of those who first heard and saw Jesus Christ in person; and that, once Returned, Christ would remain & continue to judge (rule) over the living and the dead forever and ever. I endeavor, also, to show how the record of human experience, history, accords happily with the Scriptures' teaching.

It should be noted that the Nicene Creed concludes by providing a specific list of beliefs to be condemned, (neither 70-1070AD Millennialism nor anything I teach is among them). Simply put, it would be ridiculous for a man to condemn as a heretic someone who: confesses that Jesus the Son of God (1 John 4:15); believes Jesus is the Christ (1 John 5:1); confesses that Jesus Christ is the Word of God who came in the flesh (John 1:1 & 1 John 4:2); confesses the name of Jesus before men (Matt 10:32) ; confesses Jesus is Lord while believing in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9); worships God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 2:23); abides in the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9); displays the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-24); obeys the Gospel of Paul (Rom 2:16 & Rom 16:25); values the Old Testament for godly instruction (2 Tim 3:15-17); loves all the saints & brethren, maintaining good standing & fellowship among the churches (Eph 1:15 & Col 1:4 & 1 John 3:14); yet understands God & Jesus to be present among us now judging the living and the dead among us rather than yet future, (line 8 of aforementioned creed). Wittingly or not, much of global, historic Christianity tacitly testifies to their agreement with my position on this, as well, LINK.

Though, for the love for the brethren, the traditions of our Church brothers should be respected, they must not be respected above the Word of our Father, LINK.

Matthew 23:8-11
8 But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.
NKJV

Matthew 24:34-35
"Assuredly, I say to YOU [to you Apostles Peter, James, John, Andrew, Thomas, Judas, et al], THIS GENERATION will by no means pass away till all these things take place."
NKJV

1070AD-REFORMATION: Satan's Release

Revelation 20:7-9

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth...
NKJV

Revelation 20:7-9

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth...
NKJV

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_crusade

The Baker Atlas of Christian History

The Baker Atlas of Christian History